A Pirate's Life for Me
by Lavender341
Summary: [.oneshot.][somewhat AU] A chest in the closet leads to memories of a life on the high seas [.luxord.demyx.]


..:: A Pirate's Life for Me  
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..:: By: Lavender341  
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..:: Read and Reviewed by ONiONLADi777 (thanks Nikki!)  
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..:: Disclaimer: I like pirates...and I like Luxord and Demyx as pirates. But I own nothing.  
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..:: A/N: I felt like putting this up here like everyone else. There are no warnings, as this is a Luxord/Demyx friendship fanfiction. And italics mean flashbacks. They always do. Unless it's just for emphasis...then it's not a flashback.  
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Demyx sighed. He hated cleaning his room. There was just too much _stuff_. A pile of clothes here, a sitar case there. There were lyrics scribbled about on everything from napkins to straw papers. Then there was that pile of sheet music in the corner, along with the cassette tapes and CDs that threatened to take over the whole east side of his room. Oh, sure, Demyx wasn't quite sure what was clean and what was dirty, but he _did _know where everything was. And that was what mattered, right?

Unfortunately, Zexion had decided that it was time for Demyx to clean his room. When Demyx had protested, Zexion had explained that if they had their sex in _Demyx's_ room, then only Axel and Luxord would hear, as opposed to Saïx and Lexaeus, whom were Zexion's 2 neighbors. You see, Zexion had logically reasoned all of this out. As he explained to Demyx, if Saïx heard, then he would be likely to tell the Superior on them (not that the Superior wasn't guilty of the same crime) Or, another possibility which was likely, Saïx and the Superior would be busy in Saïx's room and then Zexion and Demyx would have to endure the sounds coming from next door. That was not very appealing either. Lexaeus was not really a problem, but no one knew exactly to whom his loyalties are, and no one really wanted to find out.

Axel and Luxord, Demyx's neighbors, were a different story. Axel would either be a) in his room screwing Roxas; b) in Roxas' room screwing Roxas; or c) somewhere else in the castle screwing Roxas. Either way, Axel was quite busy and probably would not bother them. And at least the moans of VIII and XIII weren't nearly as disturbing as Saïx's and the Superior's. Luxord, Demyx's other neighbor, was often drunk and probably wouldn't notice any sounds coming from next door. On second thought, he probably wouldn't even _hear_ them, as he was always belting out "Yo, Ho, A Pirate's Life for Me" or some other pirate-related song. Zexion had a feeling it had to do with his past life as a pirate.

And thus, Demyx was now forced to clean his room since his neighbors were least likely to bother them or report them. At least, at the end of all of this, he would get a reward for enduring this torture. And it better be a damn good reward after all of the work he had been doing.

Demyx dug through a random pile of what appeared to be useless junk located in front of his closet doors. After declaring it exactly what it appeared to be--useless junk--he shoved it mostly under his bed and decided to explore something he hadn't seen in probably a few years--his closet. When he and Zexion had first got together (which felt like years and years ago), Zexion was appalled to find out that Demyx didn't use his closet at all. Demyx didn't quite know why. Long story short, Zexion hung up (and freshly pressed) all of Demyx's clothes after he (Zexion) washed them religiously. It forced Demyx to use his closet for a little while, but soon old habits resurfaced (they always did say that old habits die hard), and thus Demyx's closet was never used again.

Demyx opened the closet and was promptly buried under a pile of more sheet music and cassette tapes.

He dug himself out of the pile and began to shift through all of the random crap he had stored in his closet ever since he came to the Organization. Shifting through all of the old concert clothes he had and tapes of early recordings, he came to a small chest in the far left corner of his closet. As he pulled it further out, it appeared to be a small treasure chest once belonging to a pirate. It was also covered in enough dust to make a very large dust bunny family. Demyx liked dust bunny families; they were kinda cute when you used your imagination. But now was not the time for playing with dust bunny families, and so Demyx dusted off the top of the chest with a random t-shirt he found on the floor of his closet. Demyx pulled the chest out onto a clearing on his floor. Somehow, it looked so familiar...

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_A blond teenaged boy stepped out onto the deck of the large ship. He closed his ocean-blue eyes and smiled a moment, letting the wind brush against his face. _

_"----!" A voice called out to him from the upper deck of the ship. The teenager looked up, only to see a man not much older than himself waving at him. _

_"Get up here and look at what we just found!" The teenager ran up the companionway to where the man awaited him. Although the man wore a black eye patch and had a goatee, he was only in his 20s, as far as the teenager knew. His hair was platinum blond from all his days upon the high seas. The man claimed that it was once dark brown, but no one on the ship could confirm that. The eye patch, as far as anyone knew, was the result of a pillage gone wrong. It happened around the time the man first went on the account. He was once a sailor on a British merchant ship, but after pirates captured the ship, he chose to join them instead of die. He has never once regretted it; or so he says. _

_"What is it, -----?" _

_"This." The platinum blond man gestured to a small chest. The teenaged boy was not very impressed, as they had pillaged better treasure. _

_"Why was it even worth taking? Where did you even get it from? I didn't see any ships around..."_

_"We got it from an African slave ship. Serves them right. You shouldn't trade human beings like they are a piece of gold! But, that's what makes it so interesting. Why was a slave ship, of all things, carrying such a prize around? And you didn't see it because you're always too busy sleeping and playing that weird instrument we got from India."_

_"Well everyone knows it's what I do best. I don't like having to hurt people when we capture a ship. You know it's not my style." The teenager was more of a passive person. He didn't really enjoy the aggressive side of being on the account. He did, however, enjoy the fancy clothing, rich gems, and rum. Though he always figured that his platinum-haired friend enjoyed the rum much, much more than he did._

_Upon a closer inspection of the small chest, the teenager saw that little jewels were embedded on the sides and top of the chest. A large ruby sat in the middle of the top, glittering brightly. The entire chest seemed to be made of a precious metal--gold, perhaps. Although it may have not been the biggest and most valuable treasure the crew had ever retrieved, something just seemed special about it. The teenaged boy just couldn't quite put his finger on it..._

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Demyx looked at the chest carefully a moment, then attempted to open it. To his surprise, it worked. He slowly opened the top of the chest all the way and looked inside. The chest had red velvet lining that was still plush to this day. Demyx reached inside and pulled out a bunch of old, tea-stained papers. They felt as if they would fall apart in his hands at any moment. He carefully shuffled through them, looking at each one. He saw everything from carefully hand-written letters to hand-drawn maps of the world. One letter, however, caught his eye. It wasn't written in careful cursive, like the others, but instead it was printed in red and black ink, with drawings of cards and dice along the border. The names at the top and bottom had faded away with time. Demyx could think of only one person he knew that wrote in red and black ink...

Luxord.

Luxord liked to write in alternating red and black ink because they were the colors of cards. He often drew things like cards and money and dice on the borders of his papers when he wrote letters, or when he just doodling during meetings. Demyx had always thought those doodles looked so familiar, but he could never place them. Now he knew.

He picked up the letter and read:

_1719_  
_  
----,_

_As we head to make our final stand with the Brethren Court at Shipwreck City, I realize that the best times of my life have been sailing with you. You are one of the best pirates I've ever seen. I hope this does not mark the end of our lives, but we will meet again. I promise. _

_Always remember, boy, up is down._

_Farewell for now, _

_-----_

Demyx smiled. Luxord always did write in proper English. One would never usually hear the incorrect grammar often linked with piracy come out of his mouth. However, when Luxord had a bit too much rum (which actually happened more than most people would have liked), you could hear the true pirate in Luxord. Those were the times that Demyx always had the most fun with Luxord. Except, of course, when Demyx lost all his money in one of Luxord's stupid card games. And the man never cheated. It was simply awful.

Upon shuffling through a bit more of the papers, Demyx found maps, drawings, and more letters from their days on the high seas. He thought it would be fun to take all of this to Luxord and reminisce about their days on the high seas together. With that thought, Demyx gathered up the papers and carefully put them back in the chest.

He promptly forgot that he was supposed to be cleaning his room. Oh well, that could wait. He and Zexion had an eternity to have sex, after all.

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Demyx left his room (with some difficulty, there _is_ a lot of stuff on the floor after all) and walked the whole 10 steps next door. He raised his hand and gently knocked on the door marked "X". Demyx noticed there was an empty Heineken bottle outside the door. It was so like Luxord to be drinking even on the way to his room. There was still no answer at the door, even with all the time for the speculation of number X's drinking habits. Demyx could hear a voice coming from the other side of the door. He leaned in to listen:

"Yo, ho, yo, ho, a pirate's life for me!" A drunken voice belted out the familiar tune. Zexion was right--Luxord _wouldn't_ be able to hear them.

"Luxord! Open up!" Demyx knocked again; louder this time. He could hear the song stop on the other side. A 'click!' was heard and the door swung open.

"Oh! Demyx! It's just you. Come on in, neighbor. I haven't talked to you in a long time." Luxord stepped aside to allow Demyx to come in his room.

Demyx stepped in and was immediately met with the strong smell of alcohol. He briefly wondered if anyone had bothered to suggest AA meetings to Luxord. Looking around, he saw the walls were painted a light ocean-blue. The trim was made of a medium oak, as was the back of his door. The first thought that came to Demyx's mind was viewing the ocean from the deck of a ship. He looked around the rest of the room, taking in all the details. Luxord's room was pretty much like everyone else's--white framed bed, plush white carpet, white desk, white bookshelf--you get the idea. All of the rooms came equipped with the standard white furniture. Except, Luxord had ship models on his desk and books about pirates and the seas. He also had several maps and atlases that dated back to the 1500s to present day times. There were a couple of swords in one corner, and a compass that didn't point north on his dresser. A small refrigerator occupied another corner; filled with alcohol, no doubt. There were some empty bottles here and there on the floor, along with some loose cards and dice. Compared to his room, Luxord's room was as clean as a museum.

"Hey, Luxord? I wanted to show you something I found in the back of my closet today..."

"Okay, sure." Demyx placed the chest onto the desk.

"Do you remember this?" Luxord stared at it a moment, looking it over carefully.

"Yeah...I do. Our crew, we got it from an African slave ship. I remember I gave it to you after we divided up the treasure inside. I can't believe you still have it..." Luxord seemed lost in his memories for a moment.

"I kept all of the letters and maps and drawings inside. I found one letter from you; you wrote it right before we reach Shipwreck City. And then, at Davy Jones' Locker, it washed up again. It was certainly a sight for sore eyes. It was a nice change to that monochromatic wasteland."

"Wasn't that close to the time we ended up here?" Luxord was referring to the aftermath of the attack on Davy Jones' Locker. When one is dead, they only lose their life, not their heart. The Heartless had caught on to this and followed the scents of the dead all the way to World's End. When they infiltrated Jones' Locker, Luxord and Demyx were the only 2 of their entire crew and the countless others there to appear in the World that Never Was. Demyx was found by Xigbar first, and then Luxord was found shortly after. They were taken to the castle, given new names, and the rest is history. But that was over 100s of years _after _they had first descended into the Locker. It was over 200 years of eternal waiting, only to be taken to yet another monochromatic world. At least they could almost truly live again.

"Yeah...it was. That's the only reason it ended up here with me. I'm surprised the Superior didn't take it from me, come to think of it. Do you want to see inside?" Luxord nodded and Demyx opened the chest to reveal all of the years old papers inside.

"Wow...everything's here. The drawings of our ship...the maps, the lists of our treasure! Look at all of the wonderful things we had in our day..."

"Yeah...what has this world come to? There was a day when a boy could just set sail on the ocean with just a crew and make it in the world. The world used to be a bigger place..."

"The world's still the same--there's just less in it. The Heartless have destroyed nearly everything. The seas are still as wide and they stretch on for miles...but you'll find nothing at the end anymore. No adventure, no closure, no rum! The Heartless have taken it all..."

Demyx pulled out a map of the 18th century world and unrolled it on the desk. He glanced at all of the places they sailed together.

"Being a pirate...that's what we lived for, isn't it? Nothing but the sea for miles and miles. Though, I think you liked the rum part of it too a bit too much..." Demyx laughed at that a little.

"Hey! Rum is what gets me through the day. But, do you really want to know why I resort to alcohol most of my day? It's not because I'm an alcoholic, as I'm sure everyone believes..." Luxord stared off at a space behind Demyx for a moment; evidently hurt by the other members' laughs and jokes.

"Sure...why do you drink?"

"I drink--in moderation, mind you, I just don't like cleaning up--because it reminds me of the days I was on the seas with you and the rest of our crew. The smell of rum and beer just really brings me back to the ship and when we used to make port. I can still smell Port Royal and Tortuga on my clothes some days..."

"Huh...so you're not an alcoholic then. But I can see what you mean. I never really took a liking for it as much as you did, but whenever I smell your trail of rum, I remember sitting in pubs in port drinking away our troubles and treasure. That was the life..."

Demyx and Luxord continued to shift through the old papers, laughing and remembering. There was that time that Larry forgot to tie the sail completely down, and that time that Demyx played his sitar for 24-hours straight as they set sail for Africa. Every little memory reminded them of who they were and what they lived for. There was nothing like the sea...and there truly was nothing like it here in the World that Never Was. If only they could see it again and sail upon it one last time. Just to feel the wind against their faces and see the deep-blue waters around them for miles.

"Hey...Luxord...wouldn't it be wonderful if we could see the sea just one more time...?"

"Yeah, it would be..."

"But the Superior would never allow it. He doesn't like for us to remember our true selves..."

"Where there's a will, there's a way, Demyx. We'll see the sea again somehow, I promise." Demyx smiled widely at that. Imagine...getting to see the ocean again! He could only dream of it...

"Okay. I'll remember that. I guess I should get back to cleaning that room of mine now. Thanks for letting me come over, Luxord. I had a nice time..."

"Anytime, Demyx. Just knock on the door. There are always plenty of stories for us to share. I'm glad that you remembered now, too."

"Me, too, Luxord. I'll be seeing you..." With that, Demyx repacked the chest and exited the ex-pirate's nautical room. As he re-entered his own, he groaned about the mess he faced and began to work at it again.

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_  
Two weeks later..._

Demyx was just finishing putting away the last of his newly cleaned clothes when he heard a knock at the door. After pausing for a moment to admire his work, he walked over to the door (with no difficulty, mind you). He opened the door, only to reveal a very happy Luxord on the other side.

"Hey, Dem, guess what?"

"What?"

"We're going to the sea, mate!" Luxord broke into a wide grin after sharing the news.

"What?! Really?! Luxord...how did you manage?!" Demyx couldn't _believe_ that the Superior would let them leave the castle, even for a second.

"Oh...let's just say that I caught some very unfortunate things on tape. One might call it 'blackmail'. I prefer 'leverage'." Luxord's smile turned a bit evil at that remark. Demyx figured that Luxord had caught the Superior and Saïx in a very compromising position.

"So, Demyx, pack your things. We're headed to Port Royal for 2 weeks vacation!"

Demyx grinned as Luxord's news set in.

The two ran off to pack their things, and portalled out into paradise.

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Luxord and Demyx stood upon a ship as it left the docks of Port Royal. There was nothing but the wind against their faces and the miles of deep-blue waters.

They raised their half-empty bottles of rum to the wind, and let their chant into the air:

"Drink up, me hearties, yo ho!"

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..:: A/N: I actually really like this. I always imagined these two as pirates. Just a few things here: a) their "human" names are dashes simply because I don't like trying to make up feasible "human" names for them. This made it much simpler; b) the ship they are on is called a _galleon_. If you want to know what one is, picture the _Black Pearl_ from the _Pirates of the Caribbean _movies; c) I tried to be as accurate as possible! I did my research.

Let me know what you thought!

Terms:

Companionway--stairs leading to and from the upper and lower decks.

"On the Account"--the nice way of saying that you've become a pirate.


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